


Misguided

by DancesWithSeatbelts



Series: NaLu Fever [22]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-26
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-05-29 06:33:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6363331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DancesWithSeatbelts/pseuds/DancesWithSeatbelts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Natsu delivers a long over-due apology to Lucy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Misguided

"Lemme touch'em!"

"Leave her alone!"

"C'mon!"

"Sheesh! It's just Cana being Cana!" Lucy swatted the drunk card mage's hands off her chest and glared at the glowering Natsu. "You're taking this super serious." Twitching her pony-tail in her partner's face, Lucy suppressed a smirk. "Too little too late."

Cana giggled and stumbled away, heading to her favourite bar stool. Mira slid a beer her way and went back to cleaning.

Ignoring his guild mates around them staring, Natsu grabbed Lucy's upper arms. Marching her backwards, only stopping once they hit a table. "I refuse to accept that."

"Really?" Lucy inhaled and let her smile turn malicious. "You don't get a say."

The celestial mage looked away. She missed the regret in the downturn of Natsu's mouth and dimming his eyes. He gulped, his Adam's apple working as he made a false start speaking, "...what if I wanted one?"

Mira stopped polishing the bar and dropped her rag. She leaned forward, bracing her elbows and stared along with the crowd. Her blue eyes glowed with zeal.

Macao elbowed Wacaba and grinned. Shit was gonna get real - surpassing the excitement when his marriage had derailed. His then soon-to-be ex-wife had cornered him in the guild with divorce papers. This was even more potentially explosive.

Reedus, never far from his easel and art supplies began sketching the scene before him on a fresh canvas.

Levy sat petrified at her and Gajeel's table. Part of the reason was the front row seat to Natsu and Lucy's argument. The other part was the pierced mage's hand roving on her upper thigh. The general noise and rowdy behaviour of the guild should have served as distraction. Now all eyes were on Natsu and Lucy standing in front of them. Too many pairs of eyes made her nervous. What if someone noticed the lively action under the table? She gave Gajeel an elbow to his gut.

Gajeel disengaged his hand with a huff, grimacing sourly. Trust idiot Salamander to screw up his fun. He smirked, he'd return the favour sooner or later. After Natsu bagged Bunny Girl - then he'd be there to spoil every chance Natsu had that he could.

Erza savoured another bite of her dessert, composing tomorrow's order to her favourite bakery. She scanned the room when the noise level dropped and saw nothing worthy of concern. Natsu wasn't fighting with Gray. Gray wasn't stripping and Master wasn't perving. There was no need for her to step in and create order out of chaos. Erza forked more cake into her mouth and sighed in pleasure.

"Before Lucy decks Natsu, I wanna talk to you." Gray started to pull Juvia down the passage heading downstairs. She looked over her shoulder, hesitating before allowing the ice mage to lead her off. Levy would fill her in later, of that she was sure. Right now, letting Gray tell her whatever it was that had him so agitated was imperative. The water mage sent positive thoughts to both her former Love Rivals. Juvia smiled and matched Gray's hurried pace.

Max had been sitting alone with only his broom for company when Laki had sat down opposite him. She'd bought him drink after drink and was one beverage away from leaving with her. He didn't remember taking her hand, but there he was - fingers interlaced with hers, nodding his head to every suggestion she made. Right now Laki was just as interested in the confrontation as the others were. Together they watched Natsu and Lucy from their far corner table.

Lisanna delivered drinks to Laxus' table. She doled out beers to his followers and the sole martini to Freed with a smile. The Raijinshu all turned around to witness the odd situation between Natsu and Lucy. Lisanna hugged her now empty tray to her chest, not having the slightest inclination to leave while drama was in the offing.

"Hah!" Lucy leaned her face closer and bristled. For a woman with pacifistic tendencies, she was acting out of character - but it felt great. "Did you stop that assassin from stripping me? Do you know how I felt? You didn't give a shit then, and you don't give a shit now." Her voice had risen dramatically, getting close to shrill and in danger of cracking with emotion. Anger, cold and biting made her careless. Fuck everyone watching, she was done with regrets. If she wasn't honest with Natsu now, then she'd always have a ball of rage simmering inside her gut.

"What could I do?" Natsu let his own voice gain in volume. "He was strong, stronger than me!"

"Once we uncovered his weakness, sure I went along with it, but enough is enough!" Lucy let her lips flatten into a straight line as she mulled over her next words. She kept her eyes locked on Natsu's, making note of each nervous twitch and flick. "Just because I wear the clothes I wear, doesn't mean anything at ALL!" She shouted the word 'all', her temper reaching past her control.

"I know that! I couldn't stop him on my own and I hated myself for taking the easy way out." Natsu made a conscious effort to relax his grip on Lucy's arms. "It's not like you'd take my interest in you seriously!"

"You've never tried!"

As quiet as the rowdy guild had become with the thrilling drama between the celestial mage and fire dragon slayer, it got even quieter.

"I'm sorry I'm so goddamn stupid!" Natsu forced himself to keep going. "I'm sorry I never apologized for leaving you to train! Sorry I only left a letter, sorry I was afraid of being rejected and never owned up to how I feel about you!" His breathing was harsh after shouting.

"And how is that?" Lucy was too caught up in the thrill of expressing herself to monitor her mouth. "I feel like you're my best friend but I'm not yours in return!"

"How can you even think that?"

"Pretty damn easy, when you add up everything lately." Lucy could feel tears welling up, she wanted to escape. Hashing this out with Natsu was looking less and less attractive. "Let me go." Heaving a sigh she repeated herself. "...just let me go."

"I'm sorry," pleaded Natsu. "Because you're my best friend I didn't want to lose you. Why would you want me to confess? I'm not the sort of guy you deserve. M'not book smart like you. You deserve..." Natsu let his words fade away. He released Lucy from his grip and lowered his head. "Better than me."

Lucy dashed the tears off her cheeks with the back of one hand and reached out to grab Natsu's shoulders much like he'd held her. "Look at me." Her gentle command was impossible for Natsu to refuse. "I'm sorry too."

"Why?"

"I saw how hard Igneel's death hit you. As much as I wanted to comfort you, I let my own fears and insecurities stop me." Lucy gave Natsu a tremulous smile, "can we fix this?"

"I know how! KISS! KISS!" Mira jumped up on the wooden bar and started chanting, waving her arms in encouragement. More voices joined her. The hall echoed with boisterous shouts as one and all chanted the same word with the barmaid, 'kiss!'

Lucy and Natsu blushed. Sudden awareness of where they were and everything they'd shouted at one another making them skittish.

Mira transformed into her Halphas demon form, letting her lashing tail and claws speak volumes.

Lucy searched Natsu's eyes one more time, looking for any hint of deceit. Finding none, she leaned closer.

Natsu looked pointedly at Lucy's hands gripping him. With a muttered 'sorry', she released him. Taking a small step backwards she bumped into the table behind her. The tip of her tongue wet her lips as the moment stretched between them. The urging of the crowd faded away as Natsu and Lucy communicated without words. His eyes were hopeful, and that was what settled Lucy's mind. She ran a gentle palm against his cheek and swiftly pressed her lips to his. Before he'd even registered Lucy was kissing him, it was over and he stood there gaping like a fish out of water.

Instantly the guild erupted into cheers, whistles and clapping. Mira jumped off the counter and began dispensing her own kisses to the cheeks of nakama. Macao and Wakaba almost fainted from the contact. Reedus took his with a smile and continued painting.

Lucy, now the rush of adrenalin was gone felt trepidation. Had she read Natsu wrong? Would he be disappointed by her actions? Maybe she'd ruined everything.

"Uh, you wanna continue this somewhere private?" Natsu asked, his blush matching his hair. "All this attention must be making you uncomfortable."

"Y-yeah," Lucy grabbed his proffered hand and let him lead the way out of the guild. She breathed easier once they were alone under the stars. "Can I tell you something?"

Natsu stopped dead and turned to face Lucy, keeping hold of her hand.

"You're not stupid." Lucy shook her head, "far from it. But a little misguided. You said I deserved better than you." Her voice trembled, she gulped in a big lungful of air and resumed speaking. "Impossible. There's no one else for me but you."

Natsu stared, a smile growing as Lucy's words registered. "Let's take this to your apartment." His smile turned devilish and he threw Lucy over his shoulder, running as fast as his fire magic could assist him. Her shrieks and his joyful laughter echoed all the way home.

 

From up in the rafters Charle pulled back blushing. "Don't take that kiss as meaning anything! It was the only solution, or else you would have ruined the moment for Natsu and Lucy!"

Happy uncrossed his eyes and stuttered, "I-I-I knew you liiiiiiiiiiiked me!"

Charle pushed the blue exceed off balance, watching as he plummeted, using his wings at the last minute to stop himself from splatting all over the floor. She fanned her cheeks murmuring, "Silly tomcat."


End file.
